FRANK BLACK : new box set

NEXT MARCH FRANK BLACK AND THE CATHOLICS ISSUE THEIR COMPLETE RECORDINGS IN A SEVEN DISC BOX SET.Released through Cooking Vinyl, the set will feature all of the band’s studio albums. FRANK BLACK (1998), PISTOLERO (1999), DOG IN THE SAND (2001), BLACK LETTER DAYS (2002), DEVIL’S WORKSHOP (2002) and SHOW ME YOUR TEARS (2003) have been remastered from the original live 2-track and 1-track recordings. Uniquely, the tracklisting for THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS will position the songs in alphabetical order. Frank Black / Black Francis explains the alphabetisation: “It feels like an approximation of randomness and it is a way to randomise something – especially if it’s titles”. He goes on to say that by ordering the songs in this way “… we get away from the preciousness of LPs we put out. It’s more about the body of work. The good times that we had”.
The box set contains over one hundred songs, including the first commercial release for the tracks from scrapped album SUNDAY SUNNY MILL VALLEY GROOVE DAY (2000) plus a seventh disc – TRUE BLUE – made up from previously unreleased “technical demos” discovered by engineer Ben Mumphrey in his New Orleans recording archive. He explains: “These songs were recorded with the intention of being demos, to be sent to the band to learn before they travelled to LA to record BLACK LETTER DAYS. Many local musician friends came by to help out. In return, exquisite evening buffets were provided, which Frank Black himself bought to the studio nightly and spread out. Everyone played, ate, talked, and was merry. These songs were the result”.There will be four versions of THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS available; the standard 7-CD box set; the box set plus baseball cap; the box set plus exclusive t-shirt; and the box set plus a limited edition print (200 only) of the original painting CHARLOTTE, which has been used on the artwork of the box set. Each print will be 12″ by 16″, numbered and signed by the artist. “It was on paper glued together, and it has a lot of coffee and wine stains on it and it’s just cheap little paints,” says Frank Black. “It was originally based on a photo of Charlie Gainsbourg. I just wanted a face to paint and when it was done it didn’t look anything like poor Charlotte. It just sorta turned into this dude face”…